Tropical Agriculture – Kaunanahttp://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana
The Research Publication of the University of Hawai’i at MānoaThu, 21 Dec 2017 23:27:43 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4GoFarm Hawaiʻi receives funding to continue training future farmershttp://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/6494-2/
Fri, 15 Dec 2017 22:14:59 +0000http://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/?p=6494The University of Hawaiʻi’s successful farmer-training program GoFarm Hawaiʻi has received $600,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. The additional funding will allow GoFarm Hawaiʻi to continue training aspiring farmers to increase local agricultural production.

GoFarm Hawaiʻi has five program sites across four islands, making it one of the largest beginning-farmer training programs in the nation. Sites are located on Oʻahu (in Waimānalo and Waialua), Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. Started in 2012, the program has trained more than 260 aspiring farmers throughout the state.

“We are grateful for this funding and look forward to training and supporting those who want to farm in Hawaiʻi,” said Janel Yamamoto, GoFarm Hawaiʻi program director. “In addition to growing thousands of pounds of food for the local market, our graduates are creating great value-added products, developing cooperative ways to market and distribute food, educating our island keiki about the importance of the local food supply and being leaders and active participants in the agricultural community.”

Learning from the ground up

GoFarm Hawaiʻi is a comprehensive and practical training program built around the real-world needs of tomorrow’s farmers. It involves several stages of increasing commitment and learning, from an initial AgCurious seminar open to the public, followed by a series of AgXposure workshops, a four-month AgSchool course and a six-month AgPro option that provides deeper learning. At certain locations, graduates are eligible for three years of incubation support while they grow crops on land provided by the program.

All aspects of farmer training, from crop selection and farm equipment instruction to pesticide information and business plan guidance, are covered in a mix of hands-on and classroom learning. Specifics of programs may vary by location.

“The GoFarm program does more than teach Hawaiʻi’s citizens how to grow crops,” said CTAHR Dean Nicholas Comerford. “It strives to develop an informed constituency who are responsible stewards of the land as well as integral members of our local food system. This may be the greatest impact that GoFarm has.”

In this field, genetics is key, and the station’s breeding program is thriving. Mealani’s Angus bulls were recently ranked among the top 10 percent, with four animals in the top one percent, in the Zoetis HD 50K, the gold standard for genomic prediction. This elite genetic testing compares only the top 5,000 Angus cattle in the country. “This level of quality is unheard of in beef herds across the nation,” said Cooperative Extension Agent Michael DuPonte.

Breed local

Genetic traits that the college is researching include some that can help producers to match cattle qualities with the areas in which they’ll be raised, including fitness for the amount of rain and sun, the temperature and humidity, and the types of forage growing there. In areas with high humidity, cows with smooth hair do better than those with thick, coarse coats. Cattle with high growth potential need to be matched with areas with ample nutritious forage material, while those that will grow to be smaller can graze in places with lower-quality feedstuffs.

Such genetic matching is particularly important in Hawaiʻi because of the islands’ diverse and distinct microclimates—even individual ranchers ideally may have a “makai herd” and a “mauka herd” with different varieties, said Caires. Also, because the potential rangelands here are relatively small, it’s crucial to maximize efficiency to compete in the market.

Mealani Research Station faculty and staff

Different options

Mealani uses two modes of breeding, artificial insemination (AI) and “natural service.” For AI, the semen is shipped frozen to the station, where it is used to introduce desired genetic traits to the herd. Mealani typically holds AI School once a year, when UH Mānoa and UH Hilo students and local ranchers come to gain the physical prowess that complements the cutting-edge research.

Technique is involved in the natural service breeding too. Before being released into the field with the cows, the specially chosen bulls are fitted with cone-shaped metal muzzles daubed with paint. When mating, the bulls touch their noses to the cows’ backs, and the paint on the muzzles marks them, keeping track of the cows that have been serviced.

The painstaking breeding operation is paying off. More and more local ranchers are able to make use of the station’s research for their operations, including buying the prime-bred bulls for their own herds. The station also plans to contract with a stud operation in the future, to make semen from its bulls available to other producers for AI, DuPonte said.

]]>Critical shortage of care found in Hawaiʻi’s early learning systemhttp://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/critical-shortage-of-care-found-in-hawai%ca%bbis-early-learning-system/
Thu, 30 Nov 2017 21:58:08 +0000http://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/?p=6461A new report from the University of HawaiʻiCenter on the Family finds that Hawaiʻi lacks sufficient childcare and preschool seats to meet the community’s needs, and has some of the nation’s least-affordable care.

The report provides a statewide assessment of the early learning system for children from birth through age five and focuses on child care and preschool centers, family child care homes and family-child interaction learning programs.

The report serves as a critical tool to evaluate and improve how Hawaiʻi supports the development of all of its children. Findings reveal areas of crucial need and bright spots.

Action needed

Areas in need of action include increasing the number of childcare and preschool seats. Overall, there are only enough seats to serve about one in four children, but many communities are childcare deserts with few or no options for families.

The report shows there is a critical shortage of infant-toddler care. Hawaiʻi has 37 children under age three for every licensed infant-toddler center seat, and some islands have no infant-toddler centers. As a result of the shortage, parents try to get on a waiting list long before their baby is born.

Cost is a factor

Cost is a second key concern. Hawaiʻi has the nation’s least affordable center-based care, relative to family income.

The federal government defines affordable childcare as 7 percent of family income for all children, combined. However, care for only one child in Hawaiʻi consumes approximately 13 percent of the typical Hawaiʻi family’s income.

A third area of need is support for the early childhood providers themselves, many of whom do not earn a living wage. Some providers need access to on-site professional development and a pathway to earning a credential or college degree in the early childhood field.

Finally, the cost of running a childcare program is prohibitive. Centers and family childcare providers struggle to keep tuition as low as possible while remaining a viable business.

Bright spots

“Hawaiʻi has much to be proud of,” said Barbara DeBaryshe, interim director of the UH Center on the Family and lead author of the report.

“We have many childcare centers with national accreditation, which is an indicator of quality. Public pre-kindergarten is growing and we have unique options such as Hawaiian language immersion, family-child interaction groups where parents and children play and learn together, and programs for children who are homeless,” DeBaryshe added.

According to the study, a strong, high quality early childhood system is a necessary investment in Hawaiʻi’s future. High quality early learning programs help children develop to their full potential. Reliable, affordable child care allows parents to remain in the workforce, increasing family self-sufficiency and ensuring stability for employers.

The study was conducted in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network with funding from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation.

]]>National video competition a buzz with two UH winshttp://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/national-video-competition-a-buzz-with-two-uh-wins/
Mon, 27 Nov 2017 22:27:38 +0000http://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/?p=6389A University of Hawaiʻi team created quite the buzz with two videos developed to raise public awareness about bees.

The Life History of Bees , which won first place in the Plant-Insect Ecosystems Pollinator Video Competition, introduces the viewer to a variety of bee species and their life cycles. The emphasis is on honeybees, but the video includes natural history information about wild bees in the tropics and temperate regions.

The Odd Couples which won second place in the ESA‘s “YouTube Your Entomology” video competition, is an animated short addressing the ancient and crucial relationship between flowering plants and pollinators.

The team was inspired to create the videos, Villalobos explained, because “communication is key to public awareness and to the development of informed decisions.” These videos provide biological information in an easy-to-understand format.

“As scientists we are trained to be precise and detail minded, but we often fail at making things attractive or fun for the general public,” Villalobos said.

“We wanted to produce videos that would allow us to express the science but also incorporate our artistic vision and a little humor. We needed to explain certain ideas without using jargon or sounding too technical and without sacrificing valuable content,” she said.

“We wanted to provide an opportunity for people to learn how they can help bees on an individual level,” explained Koch. “Our video provided a platform for us to talk about the value of bees to a broader audience.”

Beans from a University of Hawaiʻi cacao trial begun in 2005 were among the 18 International Cocoa Awards winners announced at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris in November. The cacao from three locations in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) field trial were selected as best in the Asia, Pacific and Australia category, along with an entry from Jeanne Bennet and Bruce Clements’ Nine Fine Mynahs Estates in Waialua and samples from Australian, India and Malaysia.

“This recognition proves what we already know—Hawaiʻi grown cacao produces a high quality chocolate with a superior flavor profile,” said CTAHR Extension Specialist H.C. “Skip” Bittenbender, who established the Hawaiʻi State Cacao Trial with the help of then graduate student Daniel O‘Doherty.

The Cocoa of Excellence Programme is held every two years by Bioversity International to recognize flavor and diversity of cocoa according to its origin. The 13 other cocoa beans of note were from South America, Africa/Indian Ocean and Central America/Caribbean regions.

This recognition proves what we already know—Hawaiʻi grown cacao produces a high quality chocolate with a superior flavor profile.
—H.C. “Skip” Bittenbender

Bittenbender is a cacao, coffee and kava specialist in the Department of Tropical Plants and Soil Sciences. He tended the entered cacao at CTAHR’s Urban Garden Center in Pearl City and Waimānalo Experiment Station and at Kualoa Ranch makai. O‘Doherty, who now works as an international cacao consultant, fermented and dried the beans.

At the competition, beans that passed a physical quality evaluation were processed into liquor and untempered chocolate for blind sensory evaluation by a panel of international experts. The top 50 were processed into tempered and molded chocolate (following the same recipe of 66 percent cocoa) for sensory evaluation by a broader panel of 41 chocolate professionals.

H.C. Bittenbender with cacao pods from his multi-site field trial.

A new niche crop

Competition organizers lauded the flavor and diversity of cacao at the 2017 event. The genetic origin of UH’s competition cacao is primarily upper Amazon. The flavor profile posted by evaluators suggests a distinct and naturally acidic fruitiness followed by a raisiny component balanced by roasted cocoa with moderate bitterness and astringency.

“With no major cacao diseases in Hawaiʻi, we are in a unique position to grow many rare and fragile cacao varietals, and the pollinator is an endemic insect” O‘Doherty said. The UH cacao trials include eight selections grown from pods produced in Hawaiʻi plus two international varieties, all grafted onto seedling rootstock from Mānoa Valley and grown at six sites around O‘ahu.

“By identifying high-yield, high-quality cacao varieties and testing growing methods, CTAHR is helping local producers develop a new niche crop for the islands,” added Bittenbender. He anticipates the release soon of variety UH3, to be named ‘Easton’ in honor of former CTAHR tree crops extension agent Virginia Easton Smith.

Bittenbender and O‘Doherty have worked closely with Kauaʻi producer William Lydgate of Steelgrass Farm, who also made the initial shortlist of 50 samples from 40 countries, and they collaborated on the cacao chapter for the book Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands published by the University of Hawaiʻi Press.

Bittenbender has also written on small farm cultural practices, harvesting, fermenting and drying of cacao. His latest publication, in October’s HortTechnnology, describes The CTAHRBag system for microfermentation of cacao, developed with CTAHR agricultural engineer Loren Gautz, Tropical Plants and Soil Sciences graduate student Jason Myers and mainland-based cacao flavor expert Ed Seguine. Clean, inexpensive, disposable polyethylene bags serve as fermentation vessels and humidity-controlled laboratory drying replaces sun drying to create a flexible and reliable method appropriate for small-scale producers and hobbyists as well as scientists evaluating new varieties for quality and yield.

Three varieties of cacao from the 10 selections growing at 6 sites in UH’s Hawaiʻi State Cacao Trial

Got ʻuluNoa Lincoln, an assistant researcher in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, has launched a new citizen science project asking volunteers to help build knowledge about breadfruit. Coordinated by graduate student Blaire Langston, the campaign invites members of the community to “adopt” a local ʻulu tree and observe its lifecycle events. Learning more about this under-studied tree will help localize food production by supporting breadfruit as an emerging crop in Hawaiʻi.

Citizen scientists are encouraged to visit the ʻUlu Phenology project website and create a profile of their chosen tree. It does not have to be on the owner’s property—it can be at a church or school or in a public place, as long as it’s planted in the ground and growing somewhere easily accessible. Participants are asked to submit observations of the tree every two weeks, whether online, by email or by phone.

A promising crop

ʻUlu is valuable in terms of food sustainability because it makes so much food—up to 350 pounds per tree. However, it is also a seasonal crop, with each tree fruiting one to three times a year. If all the trees were on the same cycle, this would lead to periods of market glut followed by times of scarcity. It is possible to modify the fruiting cycles to some extent by planting trees in different areas and under different growing conditions.

“Phenology” in the ʻUlu Phenology project refers to the timing of biological phenomena such as fruiting, flowering, especially how they change in relation to climatic conditions.

Citizen scientists will record their observations of when flowers appear and drop, when fruit emerge and ripen and fall. Lincoln and Langston, both in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, will coordinate data with information about the areas where the adopted trees are growing, such as elevation, rainfall patterns and soil types.

Building information

At the end of the three-year study, the information will be made publicly available to support efforts in breadfruit production. Regional and statewide phenology maps will be created, to help growers better understand when ʻulu in different areas and under different conditions are likely to fruit. They will be able to coordinate efforts to ensure a consistent supply. Breadfruit are very sensitive to climate, and having a record of their phenology changes will be helpful in tracking climatic changes.

]]>Technology showcase highlights UH researchershttp://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/technology-showcase-highlights-uh-researchers/
Mon, 23 Oct 2017 21:26:50 +0000http://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/?p=6259Potential game-changing research from three University of Hawaiʻi professors were highlighted at the UH Tech Showcase held on October 18 at the Bankers’ Club at First Hawaiian Center. Presentations from the fields of oceanography, tropical medicine and tropical agriculture were made to an invitation-only audience of more than 30 local investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders.

“These are three examples of the world-class research being continuously conducted at the University of Hawaiʻi that seek and engage the major issues facing us today,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “Through vehicles like this showcase, we hope to develop and strengthen community awareness and investment in the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative and its goal to help diversify the state’s economy through the creation of a thriving innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem based on UH research.”

Presentations

Revolutionizing climate and ocean change research sensors
Associate Professor Brian Glazer of the UH Mānoa Department of Oceanography showcased his work on oceanographic technological innovations and solutions, which are low-cost, do-it-yourself embedded system sensors that would replace expensive and overly complex commercial sensors and equipment in his field. Glazer’s research could revolutionize the monitoring of environmental factors pertinent to climate and ocean change research by making sensors readily available, affordable and accurate.

Monitoring Zika virus infection
Professor Wei-Kung Wang described his development of a superior serodiagnostic assay capable of specifically identifying Zika virus infections from other related viruses. As microcephaly has become an international concern, Wang’s procedure can monitor the Zika virus infection during pregnancy for at-risk mothers. Wang is with the of the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Department of Tropical Medicine.

Developing insecticides for specific pests
Professor Qing Li of the UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources highlighted his research on monoterpenoids from select essential oils for toxicity effects on agricultural, storage and household pests. His acquired data from testing compounds alone, in combination and at different concentrations and formulations, could be useful in the development of insecticides for specific pests.

]]>Soil holds potential to slow global warminghttp://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/soil-holds-potential-to-slow-global-warming/
Fri, 06 Oct 2017 21:02:54 +0000http://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/?p=6250Want to do something about global warming? Start by looking at the ground. Managed well, soil has an ability to trap carbon dioxide that is potentially much greater than previously estimated, according to a recent University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa study that claims the resource could significantly offset increasing global emissions. The authors call for a reversal of federal cutbacks to related research programs so that scientists can learn more about this valuable resource.

The research, published in two overlapping papers in Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics and Global Change Biology and co-authored by two researchers in the UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), emphasizes the need for more research into how soil, if managed appropriately, could mitigate some of the effects of a rapidly changing climate.

Humble yet mighty

“Many people think of the soil as just dirt,” said Susan Crow, a soil ecology professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM) in CTAHR and a co-author of both papers. “But caring for the land by maintaining or rebuilding organic matter, rich in carbon and essential for the life of soil, is a win-win for building resilience in our landscapes and communities through protection of food security, reduced erosion and water pollution, and improved drought tolerance.”

Organic matter in soil, such as decomposing plant and animal residues, stores more carbon than do plants and the atmosphere combined. Unfortunately, the carbon in soil has been widely lost or degraded through land-use changes such as unsustainable forest and agricultural practices, fires, nitrogen deposition, and other human activities. But there is still great promise, according to the study’s authors. Improving how the land is managed could increase soil’s carbon storage enough to offset significant future carbon emissions. The possible approaches include reduced tillage, year-round livestock forage, and compost application. Planting more perennial crops, instead of annuals, could store more carbon and also reduce erosion by allowing roots to reach deeper into the ground.

Overcoming obstacles

A view from Mt. Kaʻala. Photo by Susan Crow

While scientists are now able to remotely map and monitor environmental changes on Earth’s surface, they still don’t have a strong understanding of the interactions among biological, chemical and physical processes regulating carbon in soils. This knowledge is critical to understanding and predicting how the carbon cycle will respond to changes in the ecosystem and safeguarding natural services people depend on, such as crop pollination and underground water storage.

“As we learn more about the soil under our feet, we can be better equipped to make decisions that will help us grow food, protect natural ecosystems, and combat climate change,” said co-author Rebecca Ryals, an agricultural ecologist also in NREM.

A rapidly changing climate—and its effects on soil—make these scientific advances all the more urgent. However, funding pressures such as federal cuts to climate science, combined with turnover in science staff and a lack of systematic data, threaten progress on soil carbon research. The authors call for a renewed push to gather significantly more data on carbon in the soil and learn more about the role it plays in addressing climate change and food security. State-level soil health actions, including Hawaiʻi‘s recent Carbon Farming Task Force (Act 33, (SLH 2017), can benefit greatly from soil carbon data networks and further solutions-based research.

]]>Lyon Arboretum leads Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Seed Banking Initiativehttp://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/lyon-arboretum-leads-rapid-%ca%bbohi%ca%bba-death-seed-banking-initiative/
Mon, 04 Sep 2017 20:46:56 +0000http://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/?p=6184The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Lyon Arboretum will be leading efforts to expand capacity for collection and banking of ʻōhiʻa seeds across all islands in response to the Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) crisis. With funding from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA), Lyon Arboretum is spearheading the Rapid ʻŌhiʻaDeath Seed Banking Initiative, a new project that builds on the momentum of #OhiaLove.

In 2016, the Hawaiʻi Seed Bank Partnership developed seed collection protocols and a statewide collection strategy for ʻōhiʻa. With this structure in place, the partnership can expand its efforts and scale up seed collection—with the public’s help.

The arboretum will be offering ʻōhiʻa seed conservation workshops on each island, free of charge and open to the local community. The worshops provide training on how to properly collect, handle and process ʻōhiʻa seeds, without doing harm to trees or forests, using methods that protect seed viability and ensure conservation value for future restoration.

HTA funding also supports emergency seed banking of these ʻōhiʻa seeds at facilities on multiple islands.

Rare plant conservation on Hawaiʻi Island

The core partner of Lyon’s Hawaiian Rare Plant Program is the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP), which works with the rarest of the rare: species with less than 50 individual plants remaining in the wild. There are 40 PEPP species on Hawaiʻi Island, where severe habitat alteration by ROD could have devastating effects on rare plant populations.

It is important for PEPP to rapidly collect seeds from as many remaining rare plants as possible and secure them at Lyon’s Seed Conservation Lab. Funds are supporting increased PEPP collections on Hawaiʻi Island and storage of those seeds at Lyon Arboretum.

Sugarcane, also known as kō, may not be king anymore in Hawaiʻi, but University of Hawaiʻi researchers see a sweet future ahead for the traditional plant, which the Hawaiians first brought to the islands via canoe.

UH Mānoa Assistant Researcher Noa Lincoln is working on a book and website that catalogs many varieties of native sugarcane and discusses their cultural significance.

“Sugarcane is likely the single most important crop in the colonial history of Hawaiʻi,” Lincoln writes. He says sugarcane’s more recent history tends to overshadow the fact that Native Hawaiians utilized sugarcane extensively in the Islands for a millennium before Europeans arrived.

“The University of Hawaiʻi has taken a big step in acknowledging that there is a lot to learn from our indigenous crops, our indigenous cropping systems and the traditional knowledge that went along with this,” Lincoln says.

It’s become a high-value horticultural crop as opposed to a low-value agronomic or plantation crop.
—Ted Radovich

Not only was cane used for food; it was important for medicine and in religious and magical ceremonies. Lincoln is also working with his College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources colleague, Associate Specialist Ted Radovich, to examine traditional and modern organic growing systems, including intercropping with ʻulu (breadfruit). They are also researching cane juice quality and nutrient cycling.

“We like to say, ‘Sugar is not dead, just different,’“ notes Radovich. “It’s become a high-value horticultural crop as opposed to a low-value agronomic or plantation crop.”

Lincoln and Radovich are helping local growers and processors to choose and cultivate the native varieties that are best for their purposes, including producers making cane skewers and swizzle sticks and local distillers making rum agricola, a fresh cane-juice rum.

“We’ve been interested in traditional Hawaiian crops as both an opportunity for growers to add value to their small-scale operations as well as an engagement tool for our community members, our schools and others who want to learn about agriculture,” says Lincoln. “I think both globally and locally we’ve seen a revitalization in consumer desire for healthier foods, for local foods, for heirloom foods, and simultaneously we’ve seen a revival of indigenous pride and knowledge. I think those two things can really create a strong synergistic movement here in Hawaiʻi.”